Cemetery QR codes offer life stories in a scan

(WLWT) -- Cemeteries are going high-tech in making sure people get their loved one's life story with just a scan from a cellphone.

Amy Matalka died in 2011 after a five-year battle with ovarian cancer.

A website allows visitors to learn about her life, which can be accessed from her gravesite by just taking a picture of her marker with a smartphone.

"Amy was diagnosed when she was 29. She passed away at 34," said widower Don Matalka.

Don Matalka said he wants his 5-year-old daughter Catherine to remember how her mother lived.

"Before she died, Catherine crawled up and gave her a big kiss and told her she loves her, and Amy's last words were, 'I love you baby,' so we put it on her marker," Matalka said. "Amy touched a lot of people. She doesn't waste life, and she proved that every day."

Don Matalka said any visitor can scan the QR code with a smartphone, and the emblem will bring up a memorial website with pictures, a biography and a message board.

"Catherine's able to see how many people her mother actually touched. Mommy didn't just die, she left a legacy," Matalka said. "There are thousands of people out here. There's a before and after date, but there's no middle date, and that's the most important thing. What did they do when they were here?"